Siberian Chaga Used in Russia as Cancer Drug
Siberian chaga mushroom appears as a black mass on birch trees, dead or alive. Occasionally, it may also be seen growing on hornbeam, ash, elm or beech.
In Europe and Asia, chaga has been used for centuries to treat cancers of the heart and liver, digestive ailments, and tuberculosis. [121]
The traditional use was to peel the black skin of the mushroom and then boil it into a tea. Being a compact and easily portable medicinal made it very valuable to healers throughout history.
Modern research on chaga has mainly focused on its potential application as an anti-cancer remedy. In Russia, this usage was already approved as early as 1955 to treat lung, stomach, breast and cervical cancers. [122]
A modern study conducted in 1998 showed that chaga extract does indeed inhibit the growth of cervical cancer cells under laboratory conditions. [123] Another study from the mid-90’s found the active compound betulin to cause growth inhibition and death of melanoma cells, also in lab. [124, 25]
Further research has confirmed that some of the active compounds of Siberian chaga do decrease cancer cell growth. [125, 126]
Betulin is a medically active compound from the birch tree that gets concentrated in the black outer skin of the chaga mushroom, which has been found to contain 30% betulin, [127] whereas the inside of the chaga mushroom contains fungal lanostanes. It would therefore be suggested that chaga tea is better made from the whole mushroom, including the black skin.
Better yet are chaga extracts made with both the mycelium (“root”) and the whole mushroom fruit body. The mycelium is richer in medicinally active proteins than the mushroom itself.
Other research has found chaga to possess powerful anti-viral properties. In 1996, two studies published results of inhibitory effects on both influenza virus [127] and HIV. [128] Considering the nature of viruses, the most likely scenario is that chaga works on viruses by enhancing the body’s own immune system, a theory confirmed by a paper published in 2002 and another in 2005. [25, 129] The same mechanism may explain the reported anti-inflammatory effect of chaga. [130]
Alcohol extract of Siberian chaga has been shown to help balance blood sugar. [131] It is also a powerful antioxidant. [132, 133]
As an amusing aside not related to human health, Siberian chaga may even be used as a tree medicine. Paul Stamets relates a story of a Quebec arborist using a chaga poultice to heal chestnut blight. Not only does it cure the tree, but the tree even becomes resistant to further infections of blight after having been treated. [134]
Note: The statements on this page have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Never use any herb (or mushroom) except as advised by a licensed medical practitioner.
Credit to Paul Stamets for research and source material.
Dr. Rafael has worked with natural health since finishing Chiropractic College in the mid-90’s. He currently specializes in medicinal mushrooms in cooperation with Cordyceps Reishi Extracts, LLC, a U.S. business offering Siberian Chaga Mushroom Extract and much more. For the research references to this article, go to the Siberian Chaga Extract page and click on any number indicating a reference.
